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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25900957">Hide and Seek</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Arithra/pseuds/Arithra'>Arithra</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Angst, Bittersweet, But it's me, Childhood Memories, Drinking, During Timeskip (Fire Emblem: Three Houses), Gen, Hide and Seek, The search for Dimitri, it's not Dimilix</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-08-14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-08-14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-05 12:22:01</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,674</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25900957</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Arithra/pseuds/Arithra</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Dimitri had always been good at hide and seek.</p><p>Even as children, they had never quite managed to find him when it was his turn to hide. He had always won.</p><p>--</p><p>Or: Faerghus is at war, and Sylvain, Ingrid, and Felix search for Dimitri.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd &amp; Felix Hugo Fraldarius &amp; Ingrid Brandl Galatea &amp; Sylvain Jose Gautier</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>18</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>55</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Hide and Seek</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>The idea grabbed me and did not let me go. The shortest thing I have written in a long time. Please enjoy!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Dimitri had always been good at hide and seek.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>
    <span>The thought lingered in Sylvain’s mind, and he couldn't shake it loose, no matter how inappropriate it was. Every time he thought he had banished it from his mind, another day of fruitless searching for their missing prince brought it back.</span>
  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>
    <span>Even as children, they had never quite managed to find Dimitri when it was his turn to hide. He had always won. But now, they could not afford to have him win, no more than they could afford to be searching for a corpse. </span>
  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>
    <span>Sylvain should have expected that, eventually, the words would tumble from his lips into the cold air and leave ringing silence behind. </span>
  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>
    <span>They had settled down for the night, lit a campfire, and prepared themselves for a cold night in the wild. Sylvain had almost gotten used to it at this point, he had to, given that they could not afford to draw too much attention to themselves by checking into whatever ins were still left standing. </span>
  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>
    <span>One of the things that helped them stay warm was alcohol.</span>
  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>
    <span>Sylvain pulled out his hip flask as soon as they had finished their rations and took a deep sip, before passing it onto Felix who followed his example without comment. Ingrid’s lips pursed in disapproval, but that did not stop her from receiving the flask herself and drinking deep.</span>
  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>
    <span>Round and round it went.</span>
  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>
    <span>The flask wasn’t big enough to get two people drunk - never mind three - and given that they were technically fugitives in some of the territories they were traveling through, it was better for them to be clear-headed.</span>
  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>
    <span>The alcohol was enough, however, to lower their inhibitions just slightly, and made them talk more openly then they had since they were kids. Sylvain could almost say he was glad for their searches, if not for the fact that it was obvious someone was missing among them. </span>
  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>
    <span>The lack of inhibitions also was the reason the words eventually tumbled from Sylvain’s lips when they were discussing their plans for the following day.</span>
  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>
    <span>“Do you really think we can find him?” His voice cut through the brewing arguments between Ingrid and Felix, and Felix turned on him, ready to start an argument with him instead, “It’s not like we ever found him before.”</span>
  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>
    <span>“Before?” Ingrid was faster than Felix in asking the question. </span>
  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>
    <span>Sylvain nodded, “Yeah,” The laughter in his own voice surprised him, even if it was a bittersweet sound, “Come on, guys, his highness always won our games of hide and seek.”</span>
  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>
    <span>Ingrid’s expression shattered, and Felix turned away.</span>
  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>
    <span>The sound of his own laughter awkwardly seemed to echo around them, and as he trailed off, the only sound Sylvain could make out was the crackling of the campfire.</span>
  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>
    <span>Sylvain swallowed and took a deep drink from the flask.</span>
  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>
    <span>“Well,” when Ingrid spoke again, both Felix and Sylvain turned their attention to her, and Sylvain had a moment to be grateful for her change of topic, but then he realized that that wasn’t what Ingrid was doing. She continued the conversation, chuckling slightly.</span>
  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>
    <span>Never had Sylvain expected Ingrid to chuckle, not at a topic like this, but she did it all the same.</span>
  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>
    <span>“You’re right,” She agreed softly, something warm and nostalgic in her voice, “We never could find him, even then. It always seemed like he disappeared without a trace.”</span>
  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>
    <span>Given their current - very fruitless - search, the thought was a bittersweet one, but Sylvain’s lips pulled into a half-smile regardless.</span>
  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>
    <span>Felix, however, scoffed. “Don’t compare that,” he insisted, his voice sharp, but not quite managing to hide the brittleness, and his gaze - unwisely, since it would ruin his night vision - fixed onto the fire, “This isn’t a game, and it’s not like the boar isn’t leaving traces.”</span>
  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>
    <span>Or so Felix kept insisting. Claiming that the mangled bodies and broken corpses of imperial troops that they found, were the result of his highness' rage. Sylvain couldn’t exclude the possibility that Felix was right, not given what they had seen in the holy tomb, but Felix’s belief that it was Dimitri, and not some actual beast-</span>
  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>
    <span>Despite himself, Sylvain’s thoughts went back to one of the clearest memories he had of them playing hide and seek back when everything was still alright. </span>
  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>
    <span>It had been early summer. Glenn had been busy with his duties as a newly minted knight, and they had played in the wide castle garden. The flowers had been in full bloom, Sylvain remembered, and as he allowed himself to sink back into the memory, he could almost smell them again. With all the flowers blooming the scent had been heavy, almost cloying, but as a child, it had not bothered him much. </span>
  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>
    <span>They had been playing in the garden all afternoon. First, they had played catch, then knights, knights, and princess, and eventually they had come to play hide and seek. It had been Dimitri’s turn first - he always went first, unless Felix cried - and he had found them fairly quickly,  making Ingrid the winner. Then the prince got to hide as well, and it was Felix’s turn to search. He had found Sylvain first, and Ingrid shortly after, all together they had started searching for Dimitri.</span>
  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>
    <span>The prince was good at hiding. He knew the castle best, and he had seemed to have a new place to hide every time they played. They had looked for a while. </span>
  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>
    <span>Eventually, the sun had started setting, and they still hadn’t found him. Until that point, Sylvain had spotted Felix’s lips tremble twice, but so far, no tears had been shed. That changed when the bells started to ring. A sign that playtime was over.</span>
  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>
    <span>Dimitri was nowhere to be seen. There had been another moment where they had simply looked around, and Felix had valiantly clung to his composure. Then the bells had stopped ringing and, just like that, Felix had burst into tears.</span>
  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>
    <span>It had taken only a moment for Dimitri to show up, scrambling out of a flowerbed with petals clinging to his hair, and stains on his clothes. Hands already reaching for Felix, who had whirled around as the leaves shifted, a reassuring smile on Dimitri’s face and Felix’s name on his tongue. </span>
  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>
    <span>“I hate hide and seek,” Felix had mumbled clinging to Dimitri, and the prince had patted his hair.</span>
  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>
    <span>They had played again the next day.</span>
  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>
    <span>At that moment though, despite himself, Sylvain had breathed a sigh of relief. It wasn’t like Felix’s tears bringing Dimitri out of hiding was unexpected, or even something that had never happened before. (In fact, it happened just about every time it was Felix’s turn to seek, and sometimes during Ingrid’s and his turns as well.) Sylvain just did not like his friends being gone. </span>
  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>
    <span>He still didn’t. He swallowed another mouthful. The alcohol settled heavily in his stomach.</span>
  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>
    <span>Felix’s tears always brought Dimitri back to them. Out of wherever he had been hiding, rushing forward eager to assure Felix of his safety and well-being.</span>
  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>
    <span>The next words that fell from his lips were some that, if asked, Sylvain would blame on the alcohol. </span>
  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>
    <span>“How about you cry some, Felix? That always worked.”</span>
  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>
    <span>Ingrid’s lips twitched halfheartedly, but there was no true humor in her expression. Felix’s reaction, however, was immediate, and in no way subdued. </span>
  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>
    <span>“I’m not crying,” Felix snarled. There was no trace of humor in his voice or expression, but he seemed more animated than he had been in recent days. It would have been a victory if Sylvain was in any way interested in a fight.</span>
  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>
    <span>“Yes, yes,” He agreed with a levity that he did not truly feel, “You haven’t cried in years.”</span>
  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>
    <span>“One year,” Felix returned, and as Sylvain and Ingrid both turned to look at him in surprise, it became obvious that he had not meant to say that aloud. He shoved the flagon into Ingrid’s hands and turned his face away, his hair falling around him and shielding him from view.</span>
  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>
    <span>“Felix...” Ingrid's voice was soft, almost consoling. Sylvain did not look at them, he did not even try to get Felix to open up. He knew nothing would come of it. One year. Felix had said. It had been one year since Cornelia had announced Dimitri’s death. </span>
  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>
    <span>Sylvain didn’t know the last time he had shed tears, what did that say about him?</span>
  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>
    <span>He snatched the bottle from Ingrid’s hands, ignoring her startled exhalation, and took a deep gulp. </span>
  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>
    <span>Even that did not make his eyes burn, it wasn’t strong enough for that.</span>
  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>
    <span>“We… need to stop our search,” Ingrid’s voice was subdued, letting the previous topic drop at Felix’s frigid silence, “At least for now. My father expects me back at the end of the month.”</span>
  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>
    <span>Sylvain swallowed another mouthful and gave Ingrid a nod. The smile he got in return was weak. Felix still did not say anything, instead, he simply poked their campfire with a stick, shifting the logs around. The firelight cast deep shadows on his face and his eyes were dark and unreadable. Only the twist of his mouth showed his unhappiness.</span>
  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>
    <span>Their childhood days were long gone. </span>
  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>
    <span>Felix did not cry, and Dimitri did not show. The small sting of disappointment that Sylvain felt was laughable and pathetic, and he squeezed his eyes tightly shut. </span>
  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>
    <span>They rested only for a handful of hours, one of them keeping guard, and as soon as the light of the sun started creeping over the horizon, they broke their camp and made to return home.</span>
  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>
    <span>Another fruitless search, but they would try again. Just like they had always played hide and seek again, despite the tears.</span>
  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>
    <span>(Hidden by the thick foliage, and camouflaged by his dark cloak, a beast stood and waited, gauntleted hands gripped a ruined lance tightly. His vigil lasted hours, and through it all, he barely dared to breathe.</span>
  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>
    <span>He couldn’t- </span>
  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>
    <span>He couldn’t- </span>
  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>
    <span>The sound of the steps moving away from his position, was a blessing, a relief. </span>
  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>
    <span>It had to be.)</span>
  </span>
</p>
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